Arctic Partnership Week Marks 10th Anniversary Amid Interest in Arctic Sea Route: "Korea, a Key Partner"

The "Arctic Partnership Week," a comprehensive Arctic-related event uniquely hosted by the Korean government as a non-Arctic state, marks its 10th anniversary this year.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on December 9 that the "10th Arctic Partnership Week" will be held at BEXCO in Busan from December 10 to December 12. This event has been held since 2016 to expand international cooperation in various fields such as Arctic policy, scientific research, and industry. Under the theme "A Decade Together, Paving the Way for a Sustainable Arctic," this year’s event will bring together representatives from multilateral Arctic bodies, including the Arctic Council, embassy officials from Arctic states, researchers, and students to share their visions for the Arctic. The Arctic Council, established in 1996, is a consultative body with eight member states including the United States and Russia. Korea has participated as an observer state since 2013.

The opening ceremony will feature a welcome speech by Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun (delivered by Ambassador for Climate Change Kyeon Jongho), as well as remarks from Vice Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Kim Seongbeom and Kenneth Høegh, Chair of the Arctic Council Senior Arctic Officials' Meeting. Rasmus Bertelsen, Professor of Political Science at the Arctic University of Norway, will give a presentation on "Korea's Role as an Observer State in the Arctic Council Amid Geopolitical Changes Surrounding the Arctic." Magnus De Witt, Professor at the Alaska Fairbanks Energy Center, will also present, sharing his experiences of joint research with the Korea Polar Research Institute.

This year, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Arctic Partnership Week, a special discussion will also be held. The Chair of the Arctic Council Senior Arctic Officials' Meeting, the Danish Senior Arctic Official, the Director of the Arctic Frontiers Secretariat, and the President of the Korea Maritime Institute (KMI) will attend to exchange views on Korea's potential participation in Denmark’s Arctic initiatives as the current chair country of the Arctic Council.

With increased interest in the Arctic sea route under the new administration, an "International Arctic Sea Route Forum" will be held to share recent developments and explore business models. There will also be a program to discuss technological cooperation on icebreaking vessels, which are essential for pioneering the Arctic sea route.

Jung Byungha, Ambassador for Polar Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated, "The Republic of Korea aims to become a responsible and key partner for a peaceful, sustainable, and open future in the Arctic," adding, "This 10th anniversary of Arctic Partnership Week is expected to be an opportunity to envision a more sustainable and inclusive future together amid the rapidly changing strategic environment of the Arctic."

Kim Seongbeom, Vice Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, said, "Now in its 10th year, Arctic Partnership Week has become a symbol of cooperation between Arctic and non-Arctic states," and expressed hope that "Arctic Partnership Week will continue to grow as a forum for the international community to find solutions to pressing Arctic issues such as climate change and the Arctic sea route."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.